Don't Miss out on this "Spooky" deal

"Howl"oween already??!!?  Don't miss your chance at this "Spook"tacular Deal.  The Starter Kit is already a good deal because you get $125 worth of product for only $99. And you can make it even more special by getting this $60 printer's try kit for free.  To get yours click JOIN NOW from my SU website. Call me with any questions.  608-220-3450

And here's the best part - Stampin'UP! just extended this offer through  September 16th!

And are you ready for another Halloween idea.   

Yeah, I know its only August, but is the last day of August and tomorrow it will be officially fall, so its OK, right?

This punch art Cat Card was one of my trades at convention.  And convention is one of the reasons why you do want to buy the starter kit!  I can not even begin to tell you  how much fun it is . . . all the meetings and new product to play with . . . lots of give aways . . . and we swap trade cards.  

Everyone who buys the Starter Kit from my website between now and Sept 16th will get this card in the mail from me along with complete directions on how to make him.

Of course you'll get much more than that!  The Starter Kit gives you access to Exclusive idea sites and business sites from Stampin'UP!.  You get a monthly magazine full of ideas. And you get exclusive access to my downline support website.

  CLICK JOIN NOW here.

I look forward to having you join my team.
Happy Stamping
--Katie

Demonstrator Convention Goodies

Just look at all this "loot".  Wow.  These are all the things I got at the Stampin'UP! convention this last July. You get 3 stamp sets as part of your convention registration along with all the parts to make a bunch of projects. 

You also get a convention bag.  And I have to say that this year's gorgeous yellow and white strip bag is my absolute favorite convention bag so far!

There's more free stuff too. There are also various "prizes" for those with the lucky color wrist band and I won one of those.  Then there are several give aways to everyone.

 

And then there is the demonstrator "store".  It has all kinds of wonderful stuff we can use in our business like  Logo wear, organizers and lawn flags.  I came home with tons of toys.  Well, OK, not tons or they wouldn't have let me on the plane. But lots of stuff.

Have you ever thought about joining Stampin'UP!? Do you stamp with your friends?  Do you and your friends or family ever go in together on large orders?  If so contact me and I'll show you a way to save money on your group orders.

And if you Join Stampin'UP! NOW (before the end of August), you'll get a free stamp set (Toxic Treats) and all the supplies to make this Halloween Printer's Tray. But you'll have to act now for this special offer ends tomorrow.

Contact me with any questions - let me show you how to save money on your stamping.

--Katie

Stamping Technique: Masking

The featured technique for the August Stamp classes was Masking.  The concept of a "mask" is that you cover something, in this case you cover it to protect it.

To create the mask, stamp your image on scrap paper and cut it out.  Actually, I like using a Post-It because the post-it is sticky and will stay where I put in on my project. It can also be peeled off without damaging the project.

To use the Mask, stamp your image on the project, cover it with the Post-It and then stamp over the Post-It. 

Here is my 3 and a half minute video showing how its done

The technique of Masking is most useful when you want to stamp a scene where it looks like "things" have been tossed one on top the other: flower arrangements are a common use for this technique. In the case of our August project we did sea shells tossed up on a beach.

And speaking of the beach:  Check this photo.  We made sand on the bottom of the project and then added  some Dazzling Details (Stampin'UP!'s glitter glue in a bottle) to make the sand look wet.

We started out making the sand with the Color Spritzer tool.  But with so many people all doing the same thing the marker got too dry so we ended up just making dots by hand with the fine point marker tip.  It was equally effective.

Contact me with any questions.  Whether you are a novice or an experienced stamper, I love talking stamping.  Email me today or leave a comment below.

Happy Stamping
--Katie

Shopping Links and Rewards:

• Place your Stampin' Up! order online
• Spooktacular Halloween Printer's Tray with the Starter Kit (offer expires 8/31)
• Clearance Rack
• Loyalty Rewards Program: Earn FREE product!

Floral Framelits Dies

Here's a quick and easy way to decorate a gift bag. These flower decorations were made with Stampin'UP!'s Floral Framelits Dies.  These started out as plain white gift bags and turned into something really festive.

I played around with several paper combinations and decided I liked alternating Designer Papers with the solid color Cardstock.  These 2 bags were made using Stampin'UP!'s Summer Smooches Designer Paper.  (see all the Designer Papers on pages 162-165 of the 2012/2013 catalog).  I chose this paper because it was full of bright colors and seemed to match the tissue paper I had.  And the designs had circles in them so they went with the shape of the Floral Framelits Die.

Are you like me?  I have a drawer full of tissue paper that I save from all the gifts that are given in my house. So really, I had lots of choices.  I think this is left over behavior from my grandmother who lived during the Depression and saved (and re-cycled) everything!  Really I'm ready to handle any occasion! Can you imagine these bags decorated for a wedding gift or Christmas or Easter or some other occasion.  Its also a great way to use up some left over designer paper.

Shopping Links and Rewards:

• Place your Stampin' Up! order online
• Spooktacular Halloween Printer's Tray with the Starter Kit (offer expires 8/31)
• Clearance Rack
• Loyalty Rewards Program: Earn FREE product!

Contact me with any questions.  Whether you are a novice or an experienced stamper, I love talking stamping.  Email me today or leave a comment below.

Happy Stamping
--Katie

Only 5 Days Left on this Spooktacular Deal

Do you like to decorate for Halloween?  If so then take a close look at this "spooky" Halloween Printer's Tray. When you Join Stampin'UP! during August you  will get a Howl-o-ween Printer’s Tray project kit absolutely FREE—a $60 value! This exclusive kit contains the perfect elements of a spooktacular Halloween decoration!

There are many reasons to Join Stampin'UP!  

• Would you like extra spending money and a chance to own your own business? 
  Stampin'UP! is a great company to be part of.
• Do  buy a lot of supplies?  Would you like a discount on all your own purchases?
  For many people it just makes sense to join based on the amount of product you already buy!
• Do you enjoy stamping with others?  Being a Demonstrator provides a wonderful opportunity to gather friends and family together for some creative fun.
• Do you like getting a good deal, period!  The starter kit is only $99. Its completely customizable, you choose what you want and you get over $125 worth of product. And there is no obligation to buy anything else after that. Even as a "stand-alone" offer its a great deal.

And for the rest of August its an even better deal.  You get everything (except the ink) to make this cute Halloween Printer's Tray. The kit comes with Designer Paper, ribbons, buttons, a sheet of rhinestones, bakers's twine and that gorgeous glimmer paper spider web. It also includes the stamp set Toxic Treats seen on page 25 of the Holiday Mini Catalog (view the catalog HERE).

BONUS: if you adhere the parts to the printer's tray with temporary adhesive you can re-use the tray for other seasonal decorations.

Click HERE to learn more about this promotion
         (scroll down on the page)

Click HERE to Join Now and start choosing your product.

Questions or Concerns? Please email me or call (608-220-3450) with any questions.  I'm happy to answer any of your questions about this offer or any concerns you have about what it means for you.  I can sincerely say I think you'll be really happy you made the choice to do this. 

• For the avid stamper
  this is a great way to get some of those "big ticket" items on your "wish list" 
• and for the novice stamper
  its a really good deal to get a lot of supplies up-front with a reduced investment. Remember, you'll be getting $125 worth of product for only $99. 

But do hurry, because the $60 Printer's tray option is only available for 5 more days.

I look forward to talking with you soon

Happy Stamping

--Katie

Wood Grain Embossing Folder

This is my favorite project from the Big Shot Class on Friday.  The featured product used on this card was the Wood Grain Embossing Folder.  The folder puts the lines in the paper - the ridges on the tree trunk.  

If you're wondering about the color variations on the tree its because the tree was made from the new Core'dinations paper. This paper has a white core which shows through when the paper is distressed.  We used a sanding block to remove the brown color from the ridges after embossing.

• The shape of the tree was cut by free hand.
• The leaves were punched using the Bird Builder Punch from Always Artichoke paper
• The giraffe is from a stamp set called Zoo Review.  He was stamped in More Mustard and colored in Cajun Craze.

STAMPING TIP #1:  Here's a little trick about stamping the giraffe.  If you look closely at the image from the stamp set you'll see the one stamp has both the giraffe and the grass at his feet.  I wanted them to be in different colors on my paper. So I colored them with markers directly on the stamp, rather than inking with an ink pad.

STAMPING TIP #2: Color your Rhinestones. The rhinestones under the grass ARE Stampin'UP!'s self-stick basic jewels.  Did you know they can be colored with a Sharpie marker?  Check out this example too.

 Thanks for stopping by - I hope you found something useful
--Katie

Stampin'UP! Extends the 31% OFF DIGITAL SALE

Before I get to the "Good News" item let me respond to Georgia's Question. Georgia wrote to ask me what exactly MDS was and "how does this digital crafting thing work?"  Thanks for the question.

MDS or as its more properly known, My Digital Studio, is software.  That means it is a program written to do something.  Any Digital stamping or Scrapping program should be able to do these things. 

• it should be able to resize images
• it should let you position the image anywhere on the page
• it should let you rotate and flip the image
• it should let you change the image (round the corners, crop off an edge, change color to black and white and more)
• it should allow you to add text and to alter the text in the same way as you alter text in a word program
• it should allow you to import "clip art"
• it should allow you to control the "layers", whether a picture is on top another
• it should be able to alter the color and pattern of the background

My Digital Studio does all this and more!  

• The colors are Stampin'UP! colors 
• Backgrounds can also include our exclusive Designer Paper
• You can choose between scrapbook pages of various sizes, banners, cards, calendars and even create an interactive CD
• and the the "clip art" is our stamps and punches, ribbons, designer papers, brads, buttons and more.

The program is just the capability to manipulate the images, stamps and designer papers.  The "clip art", that is, the digital stamp sets, papers and bling, are separate purchases. And the Good News is that right now its all on sale!

Stampin' Up! has decided to extend the 31% Off Digital sale until September 14! 

 Here is the news item from our demonstrator website today:

"We know you are wrapping up summer stuff, getting everybody back to school, and things are busy. Now you can have a little more breathing room to finish your projects to send them off to print services. And don't forget about the 31 digital content items on sale too.  Snatch up your favorites before September 14. "     

"Yes, we realize that this change doesn't go along with our little "31 theme," but . . . who cares? When we're talking SALE, 45 days is better than 31!  Don't you think?"

What's on sale? Selected downloads and printing services.

Print Services: 
ALL cards, photobooks, individual pages, and tags. That's right: print any photobook, board book, swatchbook, individual pages, greeting card, postcard, trifold card, or tag-all for 31% off. 
You have to see this - check out the variety of print options HERE.

Digital Downloads:  Some of our best digital content.  30 downloads and 1 content disc.
Click here to get a visual on these products.

Item	Digital Content	Retail Price	31% Off Price
127217	Floral District Collection Disc	$  23.95	$ 16.53
118115	Night and Day Designer Series Paper	$    4.95	$   3.42
129929	Candid Frames	$    2.95	$   2.04
129921	Check This Out Page Templates	$    4.95	$   3.42
129609	Blossom Builders Embellishments	$    5.95	$   4.11
128999	It's All Me Kit	$    9.95	$   6.87
127441	Whimsical Note Journal Template	$    1.95	$   1.35
128342	Pinwheel Daily Calendar Template	$    9.95	$   6.87
127599	Party Animal Kit	$    9.95	$   6.87
127600	Autumn Traditions Kit	$    9.95	$   6.87
127620	Grateful Heart Thanksgiving Ensemble	$  14.95	$ 10.32
126027	Playful Polka Dots Kit	$    9.95	$   6.87
130066	World Traveler Photobook Template	$  17.95	$ 12.39
131221	Storybook Specialty Designer Series Paper	$    4.95	$   3.42
130850	Joyful Times Kit	$    9.95	$   6.87
124463	One Great Year Digital Kit	$    9.95	$   6.87
127175	Limited Edition Embellishments	$    2.95	$   2.04
129607	Walk in the Park II Kit	$    9.95	$   6.87
129934	#HASHTHIS Stamp Brush Set	$    7.95	$   5.49
129923	Book of Birthdays Swatchbook Template	$  12.95	$   8.94
121071	Travel Journal Kit	$    9.95	$   6.87
129924	Get it Done Kit	$    5.95	$   4.11
129005	Sweetly Nested Framable	$    4.95	$   3.42
127758	Delight in the Day Photobook Template	$  19.95	$ 13.77
130862	Blast Off Ensemble	$  19.95	$ 13.77
129890	Little Milestone Birthdays Greeting Card	$    7.95	$   5.49
128892	Designer Gift Cards	$    4.95	$   3.42
127580	And a Happy New Year Photocard Template	$    1.95	$   1.35
127435	Thanks Tons Greeting Card Template Set	$    2.95	$   2.04
127587	Sending Glad Tidings Designer Tags Kit	$    7.95	$   5.49
127762	Gratitude Framable Designer Template	$    1.95	$   1.35

And there's even more good news, you can TRY THE PROGRAM FOR FREE.  Download the software and play with it for a full month before you decide whether or not to invest.  But to take advantage of the 31% sale prices you must purchase the print product and digital content items before Sept 14th. 

We know that software takes some time to learn. So extending the sale deadline makes sense.
Stampin'UP! really is committed to your success.

Feel free to contact me with any questions
Happy (digital) stamping
--Katie

Gift Tag Using the Two Tags Die

Each month the Big Shot class focuses on different dies and embossing folders.  This month one of the featured dies is the Two Tags Die. This die cuts 2 different shapes and we'll be using both shapes (for different projects). Find out more details about the class HERE.

This die scores as well as cuts:

• Notice the blue line in the image of the die. The blue line is a fold line that gets impressed or scored into the paper.  Wow, does that ever make folding easy!
• The solid lines indicate the location of the cutting blades. Notice the tag on the left, it cuts a hole for a ribbon AND it cuts a slit for holding up the flap.
• The dotted line represents decorative
  perforations that are also cut into the tag.

Class participants made projects using both of the shapes. Using the shape on the left we made a gift tag. The scored line in the middle made it easy to fold up with a message on the inside and the slit gave a convenient way to close the tag.

Do you make gift tags for your holiday gifts?  If you're like me you like to make them, but time is an issue, at least for me it is. So I love the fact that you can whip up 20 or 30 of these little tags in no time.  And they're small, so you hardly use any paper at all.

Cut multiple layers of Cardstock too. Not only are these tags quick and easy to make but the die will cut 5 pieces of cardstock at a time.  There's a real time saver! 

• You can get yours at my on-line store,  item #115954
• While you're there be sure to check the Clearance Rack.  You never know what you'll find but it will always be a great deal.

Feel free to contact me with any stamping related questions.
Happy Stamping
--Katie

Fork Bow Video

Do you wonder what a FORK has to do with stamping or bows? Well in this case, the fork is the tool to help make this perfect little bow. 

What I mean by "perfect" is the fact that the 2 loops are the same size and symmetrical. And the reason is because of the fork.

Did you ever notice how many cards and other projects are decorated with ribbons that have a knot in them, but very few have a real bow with loops?  That's because many people - me included -  have trouble making a good looking bow. 

Problem Solved!  I learned this little trick and its made all the difference for me.  And to help you out I made this video.  Check it out to see how totally easy it is to make a good looking bow.

If you found this useful then please share the link with your friends so they can watch it too. Stampin'UP!'s "Statement of the Heart" is to share what we love and to make a difference in the lives of others. You can be part of the "Heart of Stamping" when you share useful information with other crafters.

Happy Stamping
--Katie

Die Cut Butterfly Flower Picks

I made these butterfly flower picks for my daughter's baby shower.  The flowers were from our garden, gladiolus with some feathery asparagus plumes and a couple of grass stalk flower heads. Each vase got 2 butterfly flower picks.

With a little help from mom, the shower was given by the sisters - daughter and son-in law each have 2 sisters. In the background you can see 2 loaves of banana bread and 1 loaf of chocolate zucchini bread. And in the front is my cup of coffee, because caffeine is an essential vitamin in my house.

By the way, the saying is a cross stitch that was done by my husband's Aunt Nan and it is one of my favorite sayings.  It says:

"A lovely friend once gave to me
A most delightful recipe.
Each time its used I feel I spend
A precious moment with my friend." 

For me that saying is as gorgeous as the flowers!

And the flowers were gorgeous. But the sparkly butterfly flower picks made them super gorgeous!  Do you have a do-it-yourself event coming up?  Ask me how you can use Stampin'UP! product for invitations and decorations.

They were so easy to make.  The paper was embossed with the Fancy Fan embossing folder (#127751) and then cut with the Beautiful Butterfly BigZ die (#114507). I hot glue gunned the butterflies together and pierced a hole for the Antique Brad (#117273).  Then the whole thing was hot glued to a wooden shish-kaboob skewer.

Would you like to try this project yourself? You can find all the products (except the hot glue gun and the wooden shish-kaboob skewers) in my on-line store.  It was super easy to make, feel free to contact me with any questions.

Happy Stamping

--Katie

Holiday Mini Product Bundles

The new Holiday mini Catalog is here with ideas for the fall Harvest, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  And available now to customers with the products in this catalog is the opportunity to purchase products in bundles! You can see the catalog on-line as a PDF file HERE or contact me to have one mailed to your house.

What is a Bundle?   One of the great things about Stampin'UP! is the strong commitment to matching punches and dies with stamp sets.  Just check the image below to see what I mean.  How great is this to be able to stamp an image and then perfectly cut the shape to use on your project?  

There are 7 product bundles to choose from.  My favorite is the Perfectly Preserved Bundle.  Maybe thats because right now I'm in the middle of harvesting and preserving all our garden produce.  Of course we'll have more than we need so I'll be give some away.  Then I'll be using stamps and dies from the Friendship Preserves Bundle.

The googlies eyes in the Ghoulish Googlies Bundle are so cute.  I've been using them since July (demos can get the product a month before the catalog goes live).  The self-stick eyes are just the cutest, I love putting them on everything!

Once my mind gets off my garden I'll start thinking about Christmas and then I know I'll just have to have the Ornament Keepsakes Bundle and the Sentsational Season Bundle.  

Keep checking back for photos of projects made with all this great new product.  And when you decide you just have to have it too you can order your product HERE.

Happy Stamping

--Katie

Cards with Katie: Make Your Own Technique Card Ring

Are you a local stamper?  Do you like learning new techniques?  Meeting new people?  Doing a little socializing while you stamp?  Join me for "Cards with Katie" at one of the community centers near you. 

Attend one of the Monthly Classes in Monona, McFarland or Oregon.  These events are held at the Senior Centers.  See the calendar of events for more details.  

• Learn a new technique each month
  and add a new instruction card to your Technique Card Ring
• Make 6 cards: 2 each of 3 different designs, you get envelopes too so they are ready to send

Start your own Technique Card Ring. At each class we have been learning a new technique and making a sample card to add to the card ring.  I even supply the rings for you!

People have been telling me they really appreciate the card rings.  They love to have a sample at home of the stamping we've done in class. Its so easy to forget all the details of a project - especially if you put it aside for awhile - and its nice to have this reminder of the process for those who stamp at home.

Do you have any friends or family who are home during the day and might enjoy this crafting activity?  Send them the link to this page - or help them sign up for these classes. It just takes a phone call or an email to the activities director at the center.  The cost is a minimal $10 when you bring your own adhesive or $12 if you use my adhesive and the class is usually about an hour and a half.

There are so many benefits to doing Cards with Katie.  This is a super fun way to work on stamping skills and to exercise your creativity all with the added fun of socializing while you work.

Register Now for yourself, or you and a friend.  Click here to see the registration details for each location. I hope to see you at one of these events. Happy Stamping --Katie

Next Events: 8/16 - Monona 8/20 - McFarland 9/12 - Oregon 9/17 - McFarland 9/20 - Monona

My Digital Studio 2 - Wedding Album

Do you use Digital Art in your projects?  Are you familiar with Stampin'UP!'s digital software program?  Its called My Digital Studio and version 2 was just released this month.  The things you can do with this program are AMAZING!

• Scrapbooks
• Cards
• Calendars
• Banners
• Interactive CD's
• More . . .

Try it for FREE for 30-days.  

Get your FREE TRIAL here

These are 2 pages I made of my step daughter's wedding using My Digital Studio. There are so many cool things you can do with the photos and the stamp images.

• I love being able to match the color of the "stamps" with colors from the pictures.
• I love being able to rotate AND flip(!) the images
• And its so cool to be able to re-size them. Notice the tan swirls are several different sizes.

Like I said, tons and tons of cool things you can do with My Digital Studio.  Way too many to discuss in a short blog post. The best way to see what this program can do is to play with it . . . seriously, you should take advantage of the 30-day free trial and see for yourself.

What happens when the 30 days is up? If you decide you don't want My Digital Studio, then at the end of the 30 days the program will simply stop working. And any projects you've saved as .jpg's will be yours to do with as you want. But if you're like me, you're going to have so much fun with MDS2 that you'll want it for sure.

I've found 2 BIG advantages of digital scrapping: TIME and SPACE.  Scrapping with real product requires lots of space, at least for me. Its all over the whole kitchen table.  I like to see the various pages of the scrapbook next to each other.  The digital software lets me see them at a glance and choose which page to work on. And I can easily change the order of the pages or copy and paste something from one page to another.

And I love how easy it is to work for short time periods and then come back and edit. The fact that I don't have to actually cut and paste real paper makes creating these digital scrapbooks quick and easy.  The more you play with the program the easier it becomes.

And here's more good news.  During August you can get 31% off of 31 digital content options and most of our print products.  Read the details here.

I hope you decide to take advantage of the trial offer for My Digital Studio 2. You have nothing to lose.  You'll never know if this is right for you unless you try it - and now you CAN try it for FREE.

Happy Stamping
--Katie

Beer Mug Punch Art

Are you a fan of punch art?  This punch art Beer Mug is really easy to make.  And the only punches you need are a Corner Rounder, an Oval Punch and some Circle Punches.

This card was shared by one of my downline, Sue Adams. I love the frothy bubbles spilling out the top. Did you notice she sponged them in So Saffron too, to make them a little more real.  And the 3 vertical strips of So Saffron paper really help give it the look of a glass beer mug. 

There are so many amazing projects you can do with punches.  You can make punch art animals, bugs, flowers, cars and other vehicles, cartoon characters and more.  Its all about seeing one shape used in a different way.  Maybe you need a mug of beer to help see things a little differently  ;)

• Click HERE to see more Punch Art Projects
• Click HERE to see Stampin'UP!'s selection of punches
  This is a PDF file of the 2012-2013 Catalog and the punches are on pages 182-185.

Feel free to contact me with any questions about this project or anything stamping related.  If you need a demonstrator I'd love to be yours. Whether you are local or long distance I'm here to help answer your questions and to make sure you get good use out of your stamping supplies.  When you purchase through me you can be assured that I'm there to help you understand everything you need to know about your purchase. And frequent shoppers earn Loyalty Points with me.  Check the details here.

You can purchase all your Stampin'UP! product on-line HERE.

Happy Stamping
--Katie

Mini-Album Ornament

This is a Mini-Album Book Ornament shared by my downline Sue Adams. She is doing this as one of the projects at her next event. While Sue's project is small enough to be used as an ornament on a holiday tree, it can easily be made bigger and used as a mini-photo album. 

This little mini-album is very easy to make. You start with  five 4" squares and fold them as shown in the image. One quarter of one square is glued to a quarter of the next square until all 5 are attached in a line. 

The 2 ends are decorated with Designer paper and a ribbon. When all the creases are folded it makes a mini-book as shown on the left. When the 2 free ends are allowed to meet it opens up to make the ornament shown on the right.

Speaking of events be sure to check my events calendar.  I do regular classes where we do projects like this.  I also meet regularly with my downline to help develop our product knowledge and work on our stamping skills.  If you are local to the Stoughton/Madison/Dane County area I'd love to see you at one of these events.  

The classes are open to anyone, regardless of skill level, and you are also welcome to attend one of my downline meetings as my guest.  I am so blessed to be working with a group of really friendly creative people and you'd find yourself more than welcomed.  Please call [608.220.3450] or email if you'd like more information on any of these events. Otherwise you can register on-line here.

Hope to see you soon

Happy Stamping

--Katie

New: Coredinations Cardstock

Stampin'UP!'s new Core'dinations Cardstock. This is a sandable card stock you can use to create an antiqued, distressed, color-popping look. The outside layers are exclusive Stampin’ Up!® colors - one side is textured and the other side is smooth. But the inside layer is a light contrast color which you can reveal by sanding, tearing, or distressing.  

Thats where the name Core'dinations comes from  . . .  it refers to the inner core color. The rest of the name indicates that it coordinates with Stampin'UP!'s other great colors.  This new Core'dinations paper comes in Early Espresso, Gumball Green and Cherry Cobbler.

The Early Espresso piece on this card was distressed with Stampin'UP!'s new Woodgrain Embossing Folder. I didn't even need to do any sanding on this card. The embossing folder was actually enough to expose the lighter core on the paper.

I really love the images on this card. We live on a farm and this card really feels "homey" to me. We even have an old fashioned water pump like this on our farm. And the Linen Thread reminds me of baler twine (you know the rope used to hold together hay bales).

The image is from a stamp set called Countryside. It was water-colored on water color paper.
FYI:  Stampin'UP!'s inks are all water soluble so the image itself was stamped in Staz-ON ink, which is permanent, so it wouldn't bleed when it was water-colored.

The sentiment is from a stamp set called Teeny Tiny Wishes. All 24 sentiments in this set are sized to work with the Word Window Punch (white) and the Modern Label Punch (red). 

Check out all the great Stampin'UP! product in our on-line catalogs. Most of the product used on this card comes from the Main Idea Book and Catalog:  PDF version

The Core'dinations paper is in the new Holiday Mini Catalog. PDF version

And be sure to check the Clearance Rack for more great deals.

I'm glad you found inspiration here and I appreciate your business.

Happy Stamping
--Katie

A Mixed Bunch

The title of today's post has a double meaning: Mixed Bunch!  First, the stamp set is called Mixed Bunch.  And second, the card also shows a "mixed bunch" of different techniques:  Emboss Resist and Masking.

The card front is a single piece of cardstock that was masked to protect the sentiment. The sentiment was stamped first and then protected by placing a "mask" over it. Thats how we got just part of a flower image on the lower half of the card. By the way, the sentiment set is called Perfectly Penned.

The flowers are done with the emboss resist technique.  

• The card face is a piece of Very Vanilla Cardstock. 
• The flowers were stamped in Versamark and clear embossed. 
• The centers of the flowers were colored with a Chocolate Chip marker. 
• Then the flower area was sponged with Soft Suede ink.

The Ribbon is 2 pieces and really easy to do. One wraps around the card and is adhered to the back. Then a 2nd small piece was looped and adhered to the front using Mini Glue-Dots. And a single Self-Stick Rhinestone for a little bling.  Once the vanilla card piece is finished it was mounted on a Chocolate Chip Card base.

This is one of the cards we did at the August Stamp-a-Stack.  If you're local we'd love to have you join us.  Most events are held at my home in rural Stoughton, although I also do some classes at several local Senior/Community Centers.  Check my Events Calendar to find something that fits your schedule.

I hope to see you at one of these events.

Happy Stamping

--Katie

Square Punch Banner

This is one of the cards we're doing at the August Stamp classes.  The card itself is very simple: stamp the and punch out the flower. Mount on the green banner.

Don't you love when there is a punch to match a stamp?  Stampin'UP! has many matching stamp sets and punches.  This stamp set is called Mixed Bunch and it matches the Blossom Punch.

The lesson on this card was how to make the banner. You could cut the shape with a scissors. But we  used the Square Punch to make the banner end. Center the corner of the Square Punch on the green strip. Looking through the bottom of the punch the green paper you'll be punching out will kind of look like a house. Don't you love it when you can make an unintended use for a tool you already own.

I try to be sure everyone learns something when they attend events with me.  Be sure to check my events calendar to find a class that fits your schedule.  And speaking of events, mark your calendars now for  the Annual Retired Rubber Rummage sale this weekend, Friday and Saturday.  Email me for directions.

Happy Stamping
--Katie

Moving Forward for Ronald McDonald House

Did you know Stampin'UP! has chosen the Ronald McDonald House Charities as a company philanthropy project.  Stampin'UP!'s "statement of the heart" includes the phrase "in this we make a difference"; that's really what Stampin'UP! is all about: 

• Making a difference in people's lives with the cards and gifts we make and give
• Making a difference in the social connections we make with others
• Making a difference in ourselves as we gain skill and confidence in ourselves
• and Making a difference in the lives of children and families of children who have major health issues through our giving to Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Each year Stampin'UP! commissions a Stamp Set to be the Ronald McDonald Charity set. A portion of every purchase is donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities.  The set this year is called: Moving Forward and $3 of every purchase, wood mount or clear mount, is donated.

I was in a Vendor Fair yesterday and offered a Make & Take at my booth and we used the Ronald McDonald Set.  I wanted to keep the set up simple so I only brought 2 stamps and 2 colors.  Here are some of the cards that were made.

 

Your purchase of this stamp set helps support Ronald McDonald House Charities. You can order this set and get all your stamping supplies at my Stampin'Up! Online Store, or phone (608-220-3450) or email me an order.  #126320 for wood mount ($19.95) or #126322 for clear mount ($14.95). Including shipping and tax its less than $25, its a cute stamp set and its certainly for a good cause.

I'm here to help you Make a Difference
--Katie

Betsy's Blossoms with a Dahlia

Cards are always a little more special when you can add some bling. Stampin'UP!'s new bling are these sweet little Dahlias (#127556). Adhere them with a glue dot and they really make a project blossom. They come in a package of 20, 4 each of the 5 new In Colors.

The main color on this card is Gumball Green.  The Dahlias shown here are the Gumball Green, Summer Starfruit and Primrose Petals. I am mass producing this card for sale at the Utica Fest Craft Fair on Saturday so I just made a variety of cards with different color Dahlias in the center.  I think they all look great.

To add a little elegance I embossed the bottom half of the card with the new Fancy Fan Embossing Folder (#127751) and then used a strip of the 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon (#126848) to separate the 2 halves of the card.

The stamp set used on this card is Betsy's Blossoms.  Look how the spots on the flower all seem to come from the center.  The image fits perfectly in the Blossom Punch(#125603).

Please feel free to contact me with any questions 

• If you like what you see here then please tell your friends about this website
• Keep updated about Stampin'UP! promotions, my events calendar and general stamping tips with my newsletter.  Sign Up Here.

Happy Stamping

-- Katie

Post-It Holders for the Utica Fest Craft Fair

This weekend I have a booth at the Utica Fest Craft Fair.  My booth will have displays explaining what Stampin'UP! is all about as well as items for sale.  I'll have finished product like this Post-It Holder and I'll have some retired product for sale too. Get directions to Utica Fest

These Post-It Holders were amazingly easy to make.  Its a piece of cardstock cut 1/4" wider than the post-it pad and long enough to wrap around and overlap a little. Figure how long the cardstock needs to be based on the height of the Post-It Pad and how tall the pad is.  

This is a "Matchbook" design. The front flap folds under the decoration on the bottom flap. Once you figure where you want the overlap to be, then score for the folds.

I do lots of other events besides the Utica Fest Craft Fair.  I hold classes in my home as well as teaching classes at Community Centers in Oregon, McFarland and Monona. Be sure to check my events calendar for something near you.  Hope to see you at Utica Fest. 

Happy Stamping --Katie

The 2012 Holiday Mini Catalog is Live Today

Stampin'UP!'s 2012 Mini Catalog goes Live today!  Did you get yours in the mail?  If not call me and I'll see that  you get one.  608-220-3450.  If you already have a relationship with another demonstrator please get your catalog from them.

You can also view the catalog on-line:

FLASH version:  you can flip the pages just like a paper version,
can only be viewed on-line

Stampin'UP!'s 2012 Holiday Mini Catalog - FLASH version

PDF version:  scroll through the 40 page catalog
this version can be downloaded to your computer and viewed off-line

Stampin'UP!'s 2012 Holiday MiniCatalog - PDF version

A NEW way to SAVE:  Stampin'UP! is trying something new: BUNDLES.  Now, when you bundle related products you can save money - up to 15%.  This mini-catalog has 9 different product bundles.  See the list on page 2 of the catalog.

Some of my favorites in this catalog are

• More new framelits with matching stamp sets.  I especially love the ornaments and the jar of preserves. 
• New embossing folders
• A cute new builder punch in the shape of a mitten
• Some really cute halloween stamp sets AND some self-stick googlie eyes

Start your Holiday Shopping HERE

Why shop with me?  My customers earn Rewards Points that you can redeem for free product.
Read about my Customer Rewards Program

 MORE NEWS:

August "Spook"tacular Project Kit: Buy the Starter Kit in August and get everything (except the ink) needed to make this "Howl"oween project. This is a $60 kit FREE.

• For just $99 you can choose up to $125 worth of catalog product from the main catalog or the mini catlaog
• Your Kit is completely customizable, you get what you want

For the 31 Days of August get 31% off of selected Digital Content: Whats on sale?  31 selected digital content items and most print projects.

View the Selected Digital Content HERE: it  includes 30 downloads and 1 CD.

Print Products include: photobooks, tags, cards, calendars and more . . .

More info about both of these promotions here

Please contact me with any questions about these special offers or about stamping in general.
608-220-3450 or by email

Happy Stamping
--Katie